This invention relates generally to a fine mist sprayer having a reciprocable hollow piston stem on-which a fingertip actuated plunger is mounted for the pumping of fluid. Spin mechanics of some known type are provided for imparting a spin or swirl at a given velocity for issuance through the discharge orifice as a fine mist spray having a predetermined spray cone.
More particularly, the invention relates to a means establishing a second fluid flow path for diverting some of the fluid from the discharge passage to the spin mechanics to negate some of the spin velocity and thereby cause the spray to issue as a narrower spray cone. The second fluid path may be selectively opened and closed to regulate the size of the spray cone.
Known pump sprayers typically have some type of spin mechanics for imparting a spin or swirl to the fluid at a given velocity to issue through the discharge orifice as a fine mist spray which breaks up in the atmosphere in the form of a divergent spray cone of given size. For this purpose an orifice cup has a spin cheer coaxial with the discharge orifice, and tangential channels lead into the spin cheer. Longitudinal channels leading to the tangentials are formed between a post or a probe and the surrounding orifice cup to establish a flow path from the discharge passage formed in the hollow piston stem. The orifice cup and probe are mounted within a plunger head coupled to the stem for reciprocation of the stem upon manual depression of the head.
For certain applications it is desirable to provide a narrower spray cone using the existing spin mechanics structure, the less divergent spray cone satisfying the need for reducing the area of spray against a target of a given size to be wetted during pumping operation.
Also, it would be beneficial to selectively vary the size of the spray cone in a simple and efficient manner using existing spray mechanics without complicating the structure and avoiding the need for additional molded parts.